


Russian Roulette

by Tammaiya



Category: X -エックス- | X/1999
Genre: Angst, Crack, Crack Treated Seriously, Crangst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-12-25
Updated: 2004-12-25
Packaged: 2018-08-11 09:14:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7885270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tammaiya/pseuds/Tammaiya
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kamui has set Subaru a seduction deadline. In which Subaru is angsty, Seishirou is paranoid and Kamui alone carries the crack through the dark night.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Russian Roulette

Subaru had been getting more and more out of it recently, and Kamui was starting to get a little concerned. Alright, maybe he had always been a little concerned. Now he was _very_ concerned.  
  
It came down, as everything inevitably did with Subaru, to the Sakurazukamori. Tragic doomed love was one thing when one never had to actually see the object at the centre of it, but quite a few things seemed to be unravelling now that Subaru had to encounter Seishirou on a semi-regular basis in battle.  
  
There were two possible solutions to this, as far as Kamui could see: either Subaru moved on and started a healthy relationship with someone else, or he sorted things out with the Sakurazukamori. In other words?  
  
Subaru needed to get laid.  
  
The difficult thing with that was going to be persuading _Subaru_ that Subaru needed to get laid. While the moving on idea sounded like the more feasible suggestion of the two on the surface-- really, sorting things out with Sakurazuka in the midst of all the history between them, not to mention being on different sides of a war, was asking for near miracles-- Kamui knew Subaru. He'd managed not to move on perfectly well for nine years; it was dubious that he intended to start now, however much encouragement he received.  
  
Aside from that, Kamui had no idea who Subaru could move on _to_. Other than Kamui himself, the only remotely viable candidate was Karen, and since Kamui was pretty sure that Subaru was entirely gay, that was Karen ruled out, leaving just Kamui.  
  
Subaru was gorgeous. He was the one closest to Kamui, the one Kamui respected and loved the most and admittedly had a small crush upon.  
  
And there was absolutely no way that a relationship between them would ever work.  
  
It was tempting, Kamui wouldn't deny that. Subaru understood him; Subaru was there for him in a way nobody else could quite match, now that Fuuma was gone. Kamui suspected that if he were to try, he could persuade Subaru to make an attempt at being in a relationship with him. He wouldn't, though, because it wouldn't help either of them in the long run. Kamui wanted someone who could protect him like Fuuma used to do; Subaru might not have needed protection, but he still needed someone who was stronger than he was. They were _too_ similar.  
  
Kamui sighed. Well, as much as he hated to accept it, that meant there was only one option left and he was going to have to make Subaru take it. It was going to have to be the Sakurazukamori, though Kamui was at somewhat of a loss to figure out how this was going to work. He'd have to leave _that_ up to Subaru.  
  
Time to give Subaru an ultimatum, then.  
  
~  
  
"Subaru, you need to get laid."  
  
Subaru spat out his tea, almost choking, and stared at Kamui in shock. " _Excuse_ me?"  
  
"You heard me," Kamui said calmly. "This is getting ridiculous."  
  
"What's getting ridiculous?" Subaru asked, utterly mystified. "Kamui, what are you talking about?"  
  
"This!" Kamui exclaimed, making expansive hand gestures. "Your depression is getting worse, Subaru! I don't like it!"  
  
"What has that got to do with anything?" Subaru demanded helplessly, cheeks tinged faintly pink. "Why do I need to-- I mean, why did you say that?"  
  
"Subaru, you are twenty-five years old," Kamui informed him.  
  
Subaru gave him a strange look. "Yes, I'm aware of that."  
  
"And you've never slept with anyone."  
  
Subaru buried his face in his hands. "Why are we having this conversation?"  
  
"Because there's a possibility that you'll die this year, and you can't die a virgin! That would be tragic!"  
  
Subaru imagined what Hokuto would have to say about that if they met up in some form of afterlife, and whimpered softly. It probably wouldn't be very pretty. "I can if I like," he protested weakly. "Is that the only reason? If it is, I'd really like to change the subject now."  
  
"Nice try," Kamui said. "That had actually only just occurred to me. What I meant to say was that the reason you haven't is because of the Sakurazukamori, and that's because you haven't been able to deal with your history of him and _that_ is what's making you depressed, correct?"  
  
"Er," Subaru said tentatively. "Yes?"  
  
"Then you need to get laid," Kamui concluded. "Problem solved."  
  
"What?" Subaru yelped. "How did you get that? That makes no sense, you-- that's backwards logic!"  
  
"So what?" Kamui said reasonably. "At least it _is_ logic. I mean it, Subaru! You have to do something about this!"  
  
"Like what?" Subaru argued. "Besides, you can't _make_ me do something about it."  
  
"Want to make a bet on that?" Kamui challenged him. "You are going to seduce Sakurazuka Seishirou, and if you do not, I'm going to take matters into my own hands. And that'll be even worse."  
  
Subaru found his mouth had suddenly gone dry. "You're joking, aren't you? Please be joking."  
  
"No, I'm not joking," Kamui said firmly. "And more than that, you have to do it within a week."  
  
"But I can't!" Subaru wailed. "I can't even think about it without getting embarrassed! How do you expect me to s-seduce Seishirou-san in a _week_?"  
  
That Subaru would object so passionately about the seduction itself was to be expected, given how easily embarrassed he was when it came to such things. However, Kamui noticed that Subaru hadn't actually protested the object of his seduction, which said a lot more about his true feelings for Seishirou than Subaru would be comfortable with if he had noticed. He had obviously made the right choice, Kamui decided gleefully.  
  
Well, he'd made the right choice so far as Subaru was concerned, at least. Kamui hadn't even considered what reaction Seishirou might have to all this. There was always the possibility that he felt absolutely nothing whatsoever for Subaru and would turn him down outright.  
  
Kamui thought about this carefully, taking into account everything Subaru had told him and, rather more importantly, the way Seishirou looked at Subaru like something he wanted to possess. Would Seishirou turn Subaru down?  
  
Yeah, _right_.   
  
"I'm sure you'll find a way," Kamui said brightly. "Want to go out for sushi?"  
  
~  
  
Subaru took a deep breath and met his eyes in the mirror. Everything was going to be fine, he reassured himself. He could do this. He could do this. He could--  
  
Oh God, he couldn't do this.  
  
Whatever Kamui intended for Subaru if he didn't go through with the seduction, it couldn't be worse than the sheer humiliation if he did go through with it. He couldn't even deal with it back when Seishirou used to make jokes. If Seishirou had actually seriously tried to seduce him, it would have _killed_ him. So how was _he_ supposed to seduce _Seishirou_? There was too much at stake; he cared too much, there was too much history, and if he had to seduce someone…  
  
Scratch that, Subaru didn't care _who_ it was. He couldn't do it. He wasn't going to do it. He was going to put up with whatever retribution Kamui came up with, he decided, because no matter what Kamui said, there was no way he could come up with something worse.  
  
Then Subaru remembered that Kamui was the one who came up with the seduction idea in the first place, and there was actually a fair chance that he could and _would_ come up with something worse.  
  
Subaru had changed his mind. He could do this. Really. All it would take was a little self-confidence.  
  
He was so doomed. Where was Seishirou when you wanted him to kill you?  
  
~  
  
Finding Seishirou, Subaru was starting to discover, was actually very difficult and very annoying.  
  
He had thought that it wouldn't be something he would even need to consider, let alone worry about. After all, Seishirou showed up all the time when Subaru didn't want to see him, so it was a fair enough assumption that finding him when he was required would be easy. Subaru was jinxed, that was the only possible explanation. If he had needed any proof that fate and the universe were against him, this would be more than sufficient.  
  
He was just going to have to stand around and wait for Seishirou to find him, then, as the likelihood of him finding Seishirou at the current moment-- with no idea where he was likely to be or even what district he was in- was depressingly low. It was all very well for Seishirou. He had the brands to tell him where Subaru was.  
  
 _I should have considered that_ , Subaru thought grumpily. He'd certainly had enough opportunities, this year. Right, that was it. Next time he saw Seishirou, if he remembered, he was going to create some brands of his own.  
  
Only so he would be able to avoid Seishirou more effectively in future, of course. No other ulterior reasons whatsoever.  
  
The problem remained, though, of getting Seishirou to seek him out before the week was up. Relatively early in the week, for preference. Subaru was smart enough to be able to tell he was going to need all the time he could get.  
  
The trick was in figuring out why Seishirou appeared at the times he did, which was obvious on some levels and impossibly obscure on others. He always came when Subaru was in a fight, of course, though not usually to join in. At other times he just seemed to come for no reason, however. It often degenerated into a fight, but not always, and only because Subaru attacked first.  
  
Logic suggested that Subaru get into a fight, then. It was the one way he could think of that would call Seishirou to him. The problem with that, unfortunately, was that another Angel would get in the way of Subaru's… plans. Such as they were.  
  
On the other hand, he didn't actually have to get into a fight. All he really had to do was raise a kekkai.  
  
That would be an abuse of his powers as a Seal, though. He should probably find another way.  
  
Did he care enough to do so?  
  
… Nah.  
  
Praying that the other Seals were far enough away not to get involved- he had his 'false alarm' excuse ready, just in case- Subaru closed his eyes and brought up his hands, letting the star-shaped barrier emerge and grow.  
  
He waited.  
  
"Subaru-kun?"  
  
Subaru dispelled the kekkai and turned, smiling faintly, to see Seishirou with a cigarette in one hand and an expression that was unreadable as always through the shades he wore.  
  
"Seishirou-san."  
  
Seishirou raised an eyebrow. "Was there a reason for that kekkai?"   
  
_Why did you drop it?_ Subaru could almost hear. _I wouldn't have expected you to forget I'm an enemy, Subaru-kun._  
  
Perhaps he was getting better at reading Seishirou. Then again, perhaps he was hearing echoes that weren't there.  
  
"I wanted to see you," Subaru replied, after a slight hesitation. "This was the best method I could think of."  
  
Seishirou took his glasses off and tucked them in his jacket pocket, studying Subaru closely. "Really. How unusual. Since it obviously worked, why did you want to see me? Are you that eager to die, Subaru-kun?"  
  
"I'm not here to fight you," Subaru said, nerves fluttering up in the pit of his stomach and making him feel sick.  
  
Seishirou narrowed his eyes. "You're full of surprises today, aren't you? How do you know I won't attack you?"  
  
"I'm not worth enough to you," Subaru said softly, a hint of bitterness seeping into his tone.  
  
"Perhaps," Seishirou said neutrally. "Why, then?"  
  
"Give me your hands," Subaru said abruptly, avoiding answering the question entirely.  
  
Seishirou considered arguing, but was far too curious to see what Subaru was going to do to bother. He held his hands out in front of him with a gentle mocking twist to his lips. "Is this what you wanted?"  
  
"Mm," Subaru hummed distractedly, taking Seishirou's hands in his own and staring at them for a few seconds, causing Seishirou's curiosity to rise. He could do this, Subaru told himself firmly. Leaning forward, he brushed kisses against the back of both Seishirou's hands, a mirror of Seishirou's actions thirteen years ago.  
  
Seishirou stared at him, honestly surprised for once. "Brands, Subaru-kun? Not something I had expected of you."  
  
"I'm not always going to do what you expect," Subaru informed him, which was definitely true if the seduction went as it was meant to, or really went at all. He wondered if he should try to kiss Seishirou, but he didn't think he had worked up that much courage yet. "I'll be able to find you when I want to now," he added, and walked away without waiting for Seishirou's response.  
  
"How odd," Seishirou murmured, studying the pentagrams on his hands, and found that he was somewhat interested to know where Subaru intended to go with this.  
  
~  
  
"So, how'd it go?"  
  
"Ack!" Suburu exclaimed, jumping away in fright and banging into the door. "Ow! Kamui, you scared me!"  
  
"Well?" Kamui said impatiently.  
  
"How did you even know I saw him?" Subaru demanded.  
  
"I guessed," Kamui said smugly. "Since you raised a kekkai, and that's the kind of plan you'd come up with. You have me to thank for keeping the others from intervening, you know."  
  
Subaru was mildly offended. "How do you know it wasn't a real kekkai? I could have been in danger."  
  
"You dropped it about ten minutes after raising it!"  
  
"I could have _died_."  
  
"That quickly? You're one of the strongest Seals, Subaru."  
  
"It's possible," Subaru insisted, and vaguely wished that Kamui didn't know him so well. Then again, if Kamui didn't know him so well he and the other Seals would have come running to his aid, which would have been worse than the third degree, so maybe it was a good thing after all.  
  
It never occurred to him that Kamui wouldn't have come up with this harebrained seduction scheme in the first place if he didn't know Subaru so well.  
  
"Sure it is," Kamui said dismissively. "So? What happened? Did you kiss him?"  
  
"No!" Subaru exclaimed hurriedly. "I'm not-- I can't--"  
  
Kamui grinned. "You're not going to kiss him before you sleep with him? That's not very romantic, Subaru! I'm disappointed in you!"  
  
"That's not what I meant," Subaru said desperately. "You know it's not, I just…"  
  
"Are finding it difficult," Kamui finished soothingly, grin fading away as he put a hand on Subaru's arm. "I know. But the best way for me to help is to make it funny."  
  
It wasn't that Subaru didn't _want_ to kiss Seishirou, or… or sleep with him. The problem was more that he wanted it too much. Seishirou was _dangerous_. Subaru wasn't supposed to want him, and more than that, Seishirou could crush him with just a flippant rejection. Seishirou could absolutely decimate him if he rejected him too late.  
  
Subaru was playing a risky game, the Russian Roulette of seduction. He was willing to play it, though, and not because Kamui ordered it. The deadline simply gave him the necessary motivation to go through with it.  
  
Still, he couldn't even think about kissing Seishirou-- let alone sleeping with him-- without freaking out slightly. Which meant there was only one solution: to do it before he could think about it.  
  
"I gave him brands," Subaru said suddenly.  
  
Kamui blinked. "Huh?"  
  
"Like the ones on my hands," Subaru explained. "So I can find him again without raising a kekkai."  
  
"That's a good start, at least," Kamui conceded. "Alright. But you've only got another six days left, so get moving."  
  
"Yes, master," Subaru said dryly. "Now, are you going to let me past the door or do I stand here for the night?"  
  
~  
  
Seduction: Take Two.  
  
"Subaru-kun?" Seishirou had of course known Subaru was approaching, due as always to the brands on the Sumeragi's hands. He was therefore not as surprised as he might have been, and had, for example, had the opportunity to choose to meet Subaru in Ueno Park instead of at the café in Shinjuku he'd been at. That didn't mean he knew why Subaru was there.  
  
"Good evening, Seishirou-san," Subaru said, bowing his head.  
  
"I must confess, I didn't think I'd see you again so soon," Seishirou replied sardonically. "You're making me wonder about this mysterious purpose of yours."  
  
Subaru flushed lightly and stared down at the ground. "No purpose," he lied. "I just wanted to see you."  
  
Nobody 'just' did anything, in Seishirou's experience. There was always an ulterior motive, and he wondered what Subaru was playing at. "Again? The last time you just wanted to see me you put a magical seal on me, Subaru-kun. Excuse me if I find I'm a little suspicious as to what you might be planning now."  
  
"The seal was so I _could_ see you again," Subaru countered. "When I chose. And it worked, obviously."  
  
"Hm, obviously," Seishirou conceded, and fixed his eyes on Subaru's with a quirk of his mouth. "If you just want to see me, then that must mean you're not here to fight. Why don't we go for a walk, then? The cherry blossoms are superb, at this time of year."  
  
Subaru flinched, but nodded. Seishirou's sense of humour hurt; he wasn't going to let it affect him.  
  
"Fine," he muttered through gritted teeth, and heard Seishirou chuckle.  
  
He wasn't going to let it affect him _much_ , then.  
  
~  
  
They spent the walk mostly in silence, a gentle reminder of the contrast between the then and now just in case Subaru was in danger of forgetting who Seishirou was in reality. Despite that, it was pleasant, even with Subaru's aversion to Ueno Park and cherry blossoms. Too pleasant, in a way; maybe Subaru was in danger of forgetting Seishirou's real identity, which was something he couldn't afford to do.  
  
Throughout the walk, Subaru had tried subtly several times to make passes at Seishirou. He wasn't very good at it yet, clearly, because he was quite sure Seishirou hadn't even noticed. It was growing rather frustrating, really. It suggested that either Subaru's definition of subtle was everyone else's definition of non-existent, or that Seishirou was far denser than Subaru had thought.  
  
"Should I expect you back tomorrow?" Seishirou asked, clearly amused.  
  
Subaru shrugged. "It's possible, I guess."  
  
It was in fact certain, seeing that he only had a certain number of days to work with- five after tonight, his brain helpfully reminded him-- and he was hardly going to waste much-needed time. He just wasn't about to tell Seishirou that.  
  
"Possible," Seishirou repeated, smirking, and Subaru found he was vaguely miffed that Seishirou had seen through him so easily yet again. "I see. In that case, why don't we go to dinner together tomorrow evening? My treat."  
  
"Dinner?" Subaru echoed blankly.  
  
"It's a meal," Seishirou said charmingly. "Generally it occurs in the evening after lunch and before sleep. If you've forgotten that, then you clearly aren't eating enough, just like I suspected."  
  
"Don't be stupid," Subaru replied irritably. "I meant why dinner?"  
  
Seishirou's smirk grew. "It's the usual practice to go out to dinner when one is on a date, is it not?"  
  
If Seishirou was going to tease him like that, it may actually make things easier, Subaru realised. If all he had to do was respond to move things along, he was going to be a lot happier. "I suppose so. If you're paying, you should choose the location."  
  
Seishirou frowned slightly, having expected Subaru to object at the date comment. "There's a restaurant in Shinjuku," he said eventually. "I'd give you directions, but you'll be able to follow me there, won't you?"  
  
If it was supposed to make Subaru feel guilty about the brands, it wasn't working. Really. "Yes."  
  
"Then I'll meet you at seven tomorrow evening."  
  
"Okay," Subaru agreed, and stopped walking. "See you tomorrow, Seishirou-san."  
  
Seishirou stopped and turned around to see Subaru leaving in the opposite direction. His Subaru-kun was behaving strangely recently, he thought, and wondered if it was time to start getting suspicious. No, not yet, he decided.  
  
He'd observe a little longer.  
  
~  
  
"Did you kiss him _this_ time?"  
  
"Would you stop asking that?" Subaru exclaimed exasperatedly. "No, I didn't!"  
  
"I'll stop asking when you've done it," Kamui said sweetly. "Why didn't you kiss him? You've only got five days left."  
  
"I'm getting to it," Subaru muttered. "I need a cigarette."  
  
"Then have one, I'm not stopping you."  
  
"Mm," Subaru sighed, and searched through his coat pockets for a lighter. "Remind me again, why am I doing this?"  
  
"Because you don't want to die?"  
  
"Found it," Subaru said, pulling the lighter and a cigarette out. "I don't?"  
  
"No, you don't."  
  
"If you insist. There has to be a better reason than that."  
  
"Because I threatened you?"  
  
"Ah, yes. That's right. Why do I like you?"  
  
Kamui widened his eyes innocently. "Because I make you chase after the Sakurazukamori?"  
  
Subaru paused in the act of lighting his cigarette. "What kind of answer is that?"  
  
Kamui shrugged. "Like I know."  
  
"I don't like your logic," Subaru said sourly. "It's always circular."  
  
"Five days," Kamui reminded him again. "And it's better than no logic, which is what you seem to be working on."  
  
Subaru narrowly resisted the urge to blow smoke in his face.  
  
~  
  
"You're here."  
  
"I did say I would be," Subaru pointed out.  
  
"You're more punctual than the last time we had a date, too."  
  
Seishirou was still trying to see how far he could push the date joke before Subaru became uncomfortable and called him on it. As far as Subaru was concerned, Seishirou would be waiting a long time.  
  
"Seishirou-san," Subaru said, sounding resigned, "that was nine years ago."  
  
"Yes, I'm aware of that," Seishirou said flippantly. "Contrary to popular belief, I can in fact count past three."  
  
Subaru stared, slightly off-balance again just like always. If he wanted to make any ground, he was going to have to get over that. He couldn't help it, though; sometimes Seishirou said things so strange they threw him for a complete loop.  
  
"I know," he said finally, at a loss for any better response.  
  
"We should go on a date in Ikebukuro again sometime," Seishirou said thoughtfully. "Since it was the first place we met. We could go to the Sunshine 60 aquarium again."  
  
"The second place," Subaru corrected him, only faltering slightly. "And maybe we could. It'd be nice. We could get another compatibility test done where neither of us tries lying."  
  
Seishirou shot him a startled look, taken aback not only by Subaru's somewhat tart response but also his refusal to back down from the banter about the date or their past.  
  
"We could," he said slowly, still watching Subaru carefully. "We could even go tomorrow."  
  
"Yes, we could," Subaru agreed.   
  
Seishirou continued to watch him cautiously for the rest of the evening. Subaru was pretty sure Seishirou had at least realised what Subaru was trying to do by now, which was something, but the problem was that every time Subaru made a slight advance-- moving closer, mostly, though on one occasion he tried to take Seishirou's glasses-- Seishirou neatly sidestepped him without it seeming intentional, which it clearly was.  
  
Subaru was beginning to worry that it was Seishirou's way of letting him down gently, but then it occurred to him-- complete with a rather painful memory involving broken arms and shattered cups-- that Seishirou was not the kind of person who'd ever let anyone down gently. If he intended to reject someone, he did it in one neat sharp slice that caused more pain than they'd thought possible.  
  
Not outright rejection, then, which was heartening. It was some kind of test, maybe, or game, to see how hard Subaru was willing to push before giving in. That sounded much more like Seishirou; he was forever playing games with people and testing them when they didn't know they were being tested.  
  
Subaru kept making attempts that kept being knocked back and absent-mindedly planning his next move, and Seishirou kept watching.  
  
He wondered what Subaru's ulterior motive was, and when it was going to surface.  
  
~  
  
"Did you--"  
  
"No! How many times do I have to tell you to stop asking that?"  
  
"I could have been about to say 'did you buy more milk' for all you know," Kamui said huffily.  
  
Subaru gave him a sceptical look. "And were you?"  
  
"Well, no," Kamui admitted. "But that's not the point."  
  
"Yes it is," Subaru contradicted him. "So stop asking."  
  
"It's a perfectly reasonable question," Kamui said sullenly. "You saw him again today, so you could have kissed him then. You only have four days left, after all."  
  
"Oh, shut up," Subaru muttered. "You're really not helping right now."  
  
"Sorry," Kamui said, though Subaru didn't think he sounded particularly apologetic. "Are you seeing him tomorrow?"  
  
"As you so helpfully reminded me, I only have four days left," Subaru said dryly. "What do you think?"  
  
"Oh," Kamui said, unable to stop a tinge of wistfulness escaping into his voice. He was doing the right thing, he was still certain of that, and he wanted to help Subaru, but… well, he couldn't help but wonder what would happen if his plans succeeded. Subaru was his best friend, but if Subaru had Seishirou, what was to say he'd need Kamui anymore? Kamui, on the other hand, would definitely still need Subaru.  
  
"Kamui?" Subaru said, slightly concerned.  
  
"Mm?" Kamui responded vaguely. "Oh. Never mind, it's nothing. Good luck tomorrow. You'd better kiss him this time!"  
  
Subaru rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah."  
  
~  
  
"What are you doing, Subaru-kun?" Seishirou asked him warily when they met at the aquarium. "What are you trying to prove?"  
  
Subaru almost blinked, but it wasn't very surprising that Seishirou was so suspicious. Everything in the Sakurazukamori's world seemed to revolve around ulterior motives and secret agendas.  
  
"What does it look like?" Subaru said, abruptly relieved that his objective had developed into what was pretty much the overtly obvious and he could say that with complete honesty.  
  
"Hm," was Seishirou's only response, and he didn't mention anything about it again for the rest of the evening. He continued watching, though, and if anything the gaze had grown more intent since the day before. Subaru was starting to get sick of the constant surveillance; it made him feel like if he put a single foot wrong he'd be called out on it, though that wasn't what Seishirou was watching for.  
  
Subaru was nervous enough without the added stress of Seishirou's mistrustful stare. By the end of the day he was jittery and on edge and Kamui was right, after this he only had three days and he had to _do_ something about it before he ran out of time and Kamui throttled him and did whatever evil thing he was planning on doing.  
  
"Seishirou-san?" Subaru said firmly, stopping in the middle of the deserted street and grabbing Seishirou's wrist. "Wait."  
  
Seishirou stopped and raised an eyebrow. "Yes? Is there something the matter?"  
  
Don't think about it, Subaru reminded himself, you can't afford to think about it, and moved forward so he was standing face to face with Seishirou, who considered moving away but chose instead to see what Subaru was going to do.  
  
Curiosity killed the cat. Seishirou could be a lot like a cat, sometimes; Subaru filed that thought away for later inspection.  
  
Instead of answering, Subaru hesitantly raised his hands to rest on either side of Seishirou's face and leaned up to press his lips firmly against Seishirou's mouth.  
  
Seishirou didn't respond, but he didn't break away, either. Subaru stepped back, and it hit him all of a sudden that he had just kissed the man he had been in love with since he was sixteen for the first time.  
  
"I…" he started weakly, and trailed off. "I need to… I'll see you tomorrow, Seishirou-san," he said, and all but fled.  
  
Seishirou stared after him, and wondered again what Subaru was up to.  
  
Setsuka had believed that it was important that the Sakurazukamori have a passing familiarity with other belief systems. She'd told him some of the more famous Christian stories, when he'd been younger; they were like fables, she'd said, stories with a use to them, so pay attention.  
  
Seishirou wondered if Subaru intended to betray him with a kiss.  
  
~  
  
Kamui was waiting in Subaru's room when he got back. Subaru walked through the door, Kamui opened his mouth, and--  
  
"Yes," Subaru cut him off. "I did. So you can stop asking."  
  
Kamui snapped his mouth shut and stared for a few seconds. "You did?"  
  
"Yes. And this isn't going to work," Subaru said darkly.  
  
"Don't be silly," Kamui said dismissively. "Of course it's going to work."  
  
"How do _you_ know that?"  
  
"Easy," Kamui said cheerfully. "He wants you, therefore it's going to work."  
  
Subaru's expression was highly dubious. "Uh huh. And how do you know _that_?"  
  
Kamui rolled his eyes. "Honestly, Subaru. Have you ever tried kissing someone who doesn't want to be kissed?"  
  
"That was the only time I've kissed someone, and I don't know if he wanted to be kissed or not," Subaru said, somewhat irritably. "Your point?"  
  
"If someone doesn't want to be kissed, they don't get kissed," Kamui said firmly. "Not unless the other person overpowers them, and the Sakurazukamori is way more aggressive than you are."  
  
"I suppose so," Subaru conceded reluctantly.  
  
"I _know_ so," Kamui insisted. "Stop worrying, it'll be fine. You can do this. You've got three days."  
  
"If you say so," Subaru sighed.  
  
"Trust me," Kamui said, causing Subaru to get even more worried.  
  
"What if I do succeed?" Subaru asked.  
  
"Then you get laid, neither of you try to kill each other and you have lots of domestics. How should I know? I can't see the future. If you really want to know, ask Hinoto-hime."  
  
Subaru imagined this and twitched slightly. "Um, no thank you. I meant what about the end of the world? Seishirou and I are actually supposed to be trying to kill each other."  
  
"Oh, that," Kamui said flippantly. "Who cares about _that_? This is way more important."  
  
And that from the world's so-called saviour, Subaru thought wryly. The world had gotten cheated.  
  
~  
  
"You're here again," Seishirou commented. "Cigarette?"  
  
"Thank you," Subaru said, accepting the cigarette and holding it out to be lit. "You knew I would be."  
  
"Indeed," Seishirou said coolly. "What do you want, Subaru-kun?"  
  
Subaru looked down, studying a crack in the pavement. He had to answer honestly and unambiguously if he wanted to get anywhere. "Can't you tell?"  
  
… Okay, maybe next time.  
  
"Can I tell?" Seishirou mused. "Let's see. Maybe you're trying to confuse me by behaving strangely into giving you an opening."  
  
Subaru blinked. "What? No!" He paused. "Was that a joke?"  
  
"It might have been," Seishirou said pleasantly. "Shall I guess a second time?"  
  
Subaru wondered if he really wanted to know, but nodded anyway.  
  
"You've changed your mind about the karaoke and you want to go back there?"  
  
Closer, but so very far away. Seishirou really did have a bizarre sense of humour.  
  
"Seishirou-san," Subaru said, sounding strangled, "I hate karaoke."  
  
There were a lot of things he would do for his objective, but that simply was _not_ one of them.  
  
Seishirou shrugged. "Last time I checked you didn't like going on dates, either."  
  
'That was nine years ago!' died on Subaru's lips. Seishirou had an unfortunate point. "That's different," Subaru objected lamely.  
  
"Of course it is," Seishirou said smoothly.  
  
Subaru sighed. "Next guess?"  
  
"Third time's the charm," Seishirou said. "You want me?"  
  
"Um," Subaru mumbled, face feeling hot as he continued staring at the crack. "I…"  
  
"Sorry, Subaru-kun? I didn't hear that."  
  
"I said yes!" Subaru snapped, face bright red.  
  
Seishirou tipped his glasses down with one hand and narrowed his eyes. "Why?"  
  
Subaru gaped at him. "Excuse me?"  
  
"Why now?" Seishirou repeated calmly.  
  
"Because…" Subaru hesitated. He could hardly say 'because Kamui told me to'. He didn't think it would go down very well. "Because I could die this year?"  
  
"And how do I know you're not lying?"  
  
"Seishirou-san!" Subaru exclaimed indignantly, "You know I wouldn't do that! I _couldn't_ do that! I'm not like you!"  
  
He never found out what Seishirou's response was going to be, though, because before the older man could say anything, Subaru had sealed his mouth in a desperate kiss.  
  
Seishirou actually kissed back this time, and Subaru had to break off the kiss to gasp for air, still leaning against Seishirou.  
  
"I killed your sister," Seishirou said flatly.  
  
Subaru stiffened, but didn't move away. "I know."  
  
"Yet you're still here."  
  
"I can't help loving you," Subaru said wearily. "I tried. Kamui thought it was healthier for me to just accept it."  
  
"Really," Seishirou said, and wondered if he should thank Kamui for that some time. "How do you know I won't hurt you again?"  
  
"I don't." Subaru shifted agitatedly.  
  
"Is this really what you want, Subaru-kun?"  
  
"Yes," Subaru said after a minor pause. "I'm sure."  
  
"If you're sure." Seishirou released Subaru, took a few steps away and looked over his shoulder. "Aren't you coming?"  
  
~  
  
Subaru was asleep. Seishirou stepped out onto the balcony, smoking a cigarette and leaning against the railing.  
  
"You can stop hiding," he said dryly. "I know you're there."  
  
"I wasn't hiding," Kamui said indignantly. "I was waiting."  
  
"Of course." Seishirou flicked the ash from the end of his cigarette and raised an eyebrow. "Did you want something?"  
  
"Don't hurt Subaru," Kamui said quietly. "If you do, I will _kill_ you."  
  
"What makes you think you could kill me?"  
  
"I mean it," Kamui replied, steel in his voice.  
  
"I have no intention of hurting him." Breathe in, blow smoke through the air.  
  
"How do I know that?" Kamui challenged, and stopped to stare at the cigarette. "Hey, isn't that Subaru's?"  
  
"How observant of you," Seishirou murmured. "Yes. And I won't hurt him because he's mine."  
  
"Possessive bastard," Kamui said, though there wasn't much heat in it. He wondered why Seishirou was smoking Subaru's pack-- not because he'd run out, Kamui was sure-- and began to smirk. "He's my best friend, you know."  
  
"Yes, I know. And if you ever try anything, rest assured that _I_ will kill _you_."  
  
"I'm not going to."  
  
"Hm." Seishirou studied him. "I do care about him, in my own way."  
  
"A twisted way," Kamui commented.  
  
"Undoubtedly."  
  
"Why don't you tell him that?"  
  
Seishirou laughed. "He wouldn't believe me. It would make him paranoid. He's happier this way, I assure you."  
  
Kamui smiled sadly. "Yeah, maybe you're right."  
  
"He won't abandon you," Seishirou said suddenly, stubbing his cigarette out on the rail. "He doesn't do things like that."  
  
He walked back towards the open doors, and right before Kamui was about to leave, Seishirou turned around again. "Oh, by the way-- thank you for your assistance in our love life, but as amusing as it was to see Subaru attempt to seduce anyone, let alone myself, it was entirely unnecessary."  
  
Kamui blinked. "Unnecessary?"  
  
Seishirou smirked. "I was simply biding my time."


End file.
